How a repurposed rooftop space in Kuta thrives using ancient water-saving wisdom.

The rooftop of Knalpot Restaurant in Kuta may not be the first place you'd expect to find a thriving herb garden, especially under the intense dry season sun. But with a little creativity and some help from olla pot irrigation, it’s now a lush, productive space that supports the kitchen with native and rare herbs.

Why Olla Pots Work So Well

In Kuta’s scorching dry season, keeping rooftop plants hydrated is a real challenge. Olla pots, unglazed clay vessels buried in soil and filled with water, provide a slow-release irrigation system that delivers moisture right to the roots, no runoff, no waste. The plants take exactly what they need, and the rest stays cool underground.

It’s an ancient method, and in our case, a perfect fit for rooftop gardening.

The Garden’s Design

This rooftop space used to be a communal seating area with concrete benches. Instead of tearing everything out, we repurposed the structure, transforming it into an elevated garden bed framed with teakwood. The space is now more than functional. It’s beautiful.

The transparent roof is lined with alang-alang (thatched grass) spaced to control sunlight exposure, giving just enough light for herbs to thrive while protecting them from harsh midday heat.

Growing with Intention

The garden is designed for rare and local herbs, which are often difficult to source consistently due to price fluctuations and limited supply. Thankfully, the chefs at Knalpot are open to experimenting, giving us room to grow and trial everything from native aromatics to medicinal plants.

At the heart of the garden is Supi, the full-time gardener. He keeps the beds lush, monitors the olla irrigation, and ensures a steady supply of herbs flows to the kitchen. It’s a small system, but it works, and it grows flavor from the rooftop down.

Why It Matters

This rooftop garden isn’t just a patch of green, it’s an example of adaptive design, water-wise farming, and culinary collaboration. With simple tools like olla pots and a strong connection between farmer and chef, we’re building something sustainable in the middle of the heat.

From Rooftop to Rooted Connection

What started as a hot, underused rooftop is now a living ecosystem, rooted in intention, resilience, and flavor. The garden at Knalpot is more than a functional space; it's a growing dialogue between land and kitchen, farmer and chef, design and nature.

With every harvest, we're not just supplying herbs, we're cultivating a new culture of farming that thrives even in the most unexpected places.